Planet Caravan

Commonly found in the Seef area at The Courtyard, the food they serve ranges from classic food truck fare such as burgers and fries, to the more innovative edamame tabbouleh. They even offer a few delicious desserts to curb your sweet tooth attacks.

Planet Caravan’s retro airstream caravan was custom built from scratch, making it the first of its kind in the GCC.

VM1856

With the tagline Mama is in the Neighborhood, this retrofitted school bus travels to popular locations and serves their delectable cuisine to everyone looking for great food. They even set up the area with their own outdoor seating, with tables designed from wooden pallets and mini-benches made out of crates!

Gastro Street

As you’re driving around Bahrain, you might have come across a classic yellow school bus painted black, with a large Gastro St. painted on its sides. What’s cool is you can choose to eat your food in their pop-up tables and chairs outdoors, or dine inside the bus!

Terminal Burger

Apart from their dine-in restaurant in Riffa, Terminal Burger can also be found on Marassi Beach in a stationary food truck. Their menus are designed like boarding passes with their burger types named as destinations such as New York, Beirut or even Milano. They even wrap the burgers with baggage tags, completing the whole “going on a trip” feeling.

La Creperie

Had your Terminal burger and looking for something sweet? Hit up that bright blue food truck nearby, serving a creative selection of sweet and savory crepes as well as milkshakes. They even provide options to create your own crepes or milkshakes from the wide array of ingredients they have available.

Bike-touring Bahrain with Hessa Al Rumaihi.

When I graduated from university three years ago, I came back to Bahrain and just felt disconnected for a good six months. A friend and I went to Oman on a camping trip and we loved the tour guides.

So, we came up with the concept of giving people unique experiences rather than conventional tours. Being led by a local of the area offers a whole different experience. We started with Bahrain, recently expanded to Dubai and hope to spread out globally.

How did you start organizing bicycle tours?My friends and I live in Jasra and we would often meet up on our bikes, cycling to beautiful places close by. When I told people on Instagram that all the pictures I post were in Bahrain, they’d never believe me! So, I thought, why not share these experiences with everyone and show them first-hand?

Tell us about Global Wheels.I started off with bikes I used to borrow from my dad, neighbors and friends. The bikes weren’t the best quality and constantly needed maintenance. Eventually, I saved up and, with my dad’s financing and my first pay check, I was able to buy good quality bikes and gear.

I had three to five tours in the first year, 20 in the second year, and, since October last year, I have already led eight tours. Every year it’s been growing so much just by word of mouth.

What do your tours consist of?In each tour, I cover nature, culture and heritage while at the same time trying to promote healthy living and eco-friendliness. I also organize a picnic, which includes fresh fruits, nuts and sandwiches from Al Osra (one of our sponsors) as well as Arabic coffee and tea from my home. Additionally, part of the tour involves picking up vegetables from an organic farm.

What is your inspiration?My main inspiration was actually the character from the Saudi film, “Wadjda.” A 10-year-old girl that goes against all odds and discouragement to pursue her dream of owning and riding a bike.

A journey to discovering the artist within.

Artist: Nada Alawi

“Our region has a lot of beautiful, thought-provoking, and stunning art to share. We have so much to say, so much which is not being communicated properly. The idea behind Annada is to communicate this art through the powerful medium of fashion and lifestyle.”

Launched in 2011 as the brainchild between Nada Alawi and her sister Noor, Annada are always on the lookout for new artists. They look for artwork that translates well onto textiles and lifestyle items while aiming at covering as many art-styles as possible. They print on a variety of scarves from silks to cashmeres, on the silk lining of leather jackets and on traditional paper products.

Alawi’s’s main source of inspiration is art, followed immediately by the women in her life: “I am surrounded by independent, ambitious, and successful women all the time and that gives me something to aspire to.”

Musician: Iban Perret

Iban Perret, known as Ibantuta, is a Bahrain-based musician born in the French Basque Country.

He travels the world with a particular mission that lives at the heart of his style: the exploration of foreign cultures through the discovery of their music, melodies and instruments. Today, Ibantuta resonates most with the Middle-Eastern oud, which he learned and honed his craft in at the prestigious “Beit el Oud” in Abu Dhabi. He continues to study under the guidance of his teacher and renowned oud-player, Saad Mahmoud Jawad.

Ibantuta has a strong presence in Bahrain’s music scene as co-founder of the bands Aalaat and Musicians Without Borders. In 2016, he released his first music video “Ayam Zaman” that won prizes in several short movie film festivals across the world. Shot in a traditional house in Muharraq, the video a celebration of the exchange between cultures, as represented by the dialogue between the instruments.

Artist: Karima Sharabi

Karima Sharabi’s encounter with calligraphy began when a friend asked her to write his daughter’s name in Arabic. Although her Arabic is not very strong, “my imagery has always been quite fluid and so the flow of calligraphy came quite naturally to me.” The design she presented him was one that encompassed his journey in life, adding the personal touch he was looking for.

In 2015, Sharabi partnered with creative director Noora Al Zain and together they founded The Generous Light Co. “Our company is about spreading light and positivity through knowledge and art. We sell gift items, each of which has a meaning and a story behind them.”

Sharabi’s artwork is presented on tattoo designs, jewelry, t-shirts, mugs, bags and adhesive tattoos. In addition, she does larger commissioned pieces of artwork for individual clients.

Inspired by the writings of mostly eastern spiritualists like Hafiz, Rumi and Khalil Gibran, as well as Native American leaders, Sharabi’s biggest inspiration comes from her clients and their stories of struggle and success. “The fact that we all have similar stories of struggle and strength and we are all so much more connected than we really know is extremely beautiful and humbling.”

Artist: Ayda Noor

Although Ayda Noor had a promising career in human resources, she craved to fill what was missing in her life. “I realized that if I wanted to do something and be successful in it, I should be passionate about it. Otherwise it wouldn’t last.” She started painting and reignited the love she had for art.

Initially, Noor started painting teacups. She displayed her work on Instagram and saw an interest from people all over the GCC. “It was important for me to present people with something that was unique and not an imitation. With time, I realized that I liked painting traditional women, and that is what I started painting on my items.”

Followed by her success on Instagram, Noor quit her job and launched “Her Art Gallery” in Riyadat Mall, selling a diverse collection of personally-painted gift items such as teacups, coffee cups, and various household items.

Healing through the power of art.

Dalal Al Sindi is a trained and qualified art therapist, with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a masters’ in art therapy. She is also the founder of the Art Therapy Center in Bahrain.

Share a brief about yourself.

Well, once I qualified as an art therapist from Hertfordshire University, I started giving lectures about art therapy in Bahrain, Qatar and UAE and worked as an art therapist in the King Fahad Medical City’s Rehabilitation Hospital with patients with various mental, psychological and physical difficulties. From then on, I continued art therapy with various client groups in several facilities in Bahrain, culminating with the opportunity to open up the first and only art therapy practice in Bahrain.What is art therapy?

Art therapy is a profession that combines both psychotherapy and the creative process of art. In art therapy, the client is given an active part by taking the role of the artistic creator. Therefore, the client is able to express themselves through the art-making process in a safe environment.What inspires you?

My inspiration comes from the power of art and its healing properties. This led me to start the practice in Bahrain where art is appreciated and the society now is able to understand psychotherapy and its branches such as music therapy and drama therapy. Art therapy offers an alternative way for healing, which takes away the stigma about psychotherapy in the Middle East, breaking the boundary usually present in our culture.

What gives you the most satisfaction about your work?

The client and their artwork, as well as the unique challenges that come with every case are my main motivating factors in the field. The relationship of clients with art and therapy constantly changes, which I find fascinating!

Is there anything you would want people to know about art therapy?

Yes. Art therapy is a non-intrusive form of therapy that focuses on your creative mind, which is used when faced with a situation that concerns emotions and thoughts. It uses art mediums and the art therapist to effect change in a person’s life. That change is evident with clients that respond to art and have the ability to face their external images and internal issues.

Pachachic

Pachachic was established when its owners, Fajer and Nouf Al Pachachi, decided they wanted to furnish their homes but couldn’t find any store with the shabby-chic style they were looking for.

They offer a variety of home décor items such as teapots, mugs, plates, cake stands, quilts and many more accessories to spruce up your abode. Most of their accessories are from different parts of the world but a decent variety is uniquely created in Bahrain.

Pachachic also offers an event-planning service where they rent out some of their collections for themed events, including baby or bridal showers.

Suray

Recently launched Suray has a unique collection of home accessories, kitchen products and decorative items straight from Turkey. Suray’s owners pride themselves for their special collaboration with a talented painter from Turkey who provides them with exclusive painted wooden pieces.

Alia Primary School

Alia Primary School

Alia Primary School’s Early Intervention Program is designed to support children with physical, behavioral or emotional needs such as those that have autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis. Apart from an academic curriculum, the program focuses on critical language skills, functional activities, socialization and initiation and generalization of learned skills. Their 3:1 teacher to student ratio gives students the special care they need to learn and demonstrate skills in a natural setting.

Children’s Academy

The Children’s Academy provides children with mild to moderate learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, speech and language delay and low levels of concentration with an educational program based on the British National Curriculum. It provides individualized education in a caring environment full of academic and therapeutic support.

Bahrain Institute for Special Education (BISE)

BISE is a non-profit facility catering to children with learning difficulties and special needs such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as those with a range of emotional and physical needs.

The services they offer to the community start from evaluating and diagnosing a special needs individual to educating and offering consultancy sessions to family members. Their main goal is the inclusion of children with special needs into mainstream educational programs.

RIA Institute

With a bilingual curriculum, RIA institute caters to all students of younger ages, including those with special emotional, intellectual and physical needs. They work closely with students’ families, involving them in the process to build the best educational path suitable for each child. Apart from a brain gym and music and movement classes, RIA has a vast curriculum of math and social, environment and computer studies.

BREAKFAST

The Orangery Tearoom and Patisserie – Belgian Waffles

We start our quest for great food with breakfast at The Orangery. With their contemporary décor, tantalizing pastries on display and their beautifully painted teacups and teapots, Orangery catches the eye the moment we step in. It’s a journey across the world.

We scan through the menu and are fixated on Proper Belgian Waffles. Served with mascarpone cream, fresh strawberries, and either Nutella or compote, this breakfast combination is pure satisfaction for the taste buds.

LUNCH

Roma – Salad and Pasta

For lunch, we make our way to our favorite Italian restaurant. Roma has one of the most authentic Italian cuisines that we’ve found in town. The aura is relaxing and pleasant and the servers are friendly and eager to please.

As we carefully go through the menu, they serve us complimentary olive paste and salsa with slices of freshly baked bread. We order an antipasti of rocca salad combined with cherry tomatoes, strawberries and asparagus. For our pasta dish, we went traditional with a very delicious Lasagne San Petronio. Layers of fresh homemade pasta, minced Angus meat, creamy tomato sauce and cheese; this lasagna makes our hearts sing along with the Italian music in the background.

DINNER

Frangipani – Grilled Salmon Maki

After gorging on a hearty breakfast and light lunch, it’s time to cap the trifecta off with the perfect sushi dinner. Frangipani has quite a modern look to it thanks to its wooden tables and orange chairs.

Their menu is your standard Japanese fare of tempuras, tepanyakis, makis and sushis, all of which you can find at the various Japanese restaurants in Bahrain. However, no one makes Grilled Salmon Maki better than Frangipani. The flakey grilled salmon rolled in rice is blanketed with tempura flakes and topped with special sauce. One set was definitely not enough, so we kept those orders coming in till we sighed with contentment.

Food Consultant: Muneera Al Mannai

So you want to invest in a restaurant business but you don’t know where to start. Don’t fret! That’s where Muneera Al Mannai, founder of FoodTalk Consulting, comes in. With her know-how, connections and experience, Al Mannai can plan everything for you from A to Z.

“I’ve loved cooking ever since I was young,” said Al Mannai. “Growing up, I was always with my grandmother in the kitchen.” However, since it was rare to pursue a career in the culinary arts at the time, she didn’t have the motivation or support to follow her passion.

After majoring in Business, Al Mannai worked at her family’s events company as an event manager. “I noticed I was more interested in the buffet area, buffet table, food and menus. That’s when I decided to study the culinary arts.”

She started training at the Gulf Hotel kitchens peeling, chopping and doing the usual grunt work. She then went to Switzerland to study Culinary Management and International Cuisine. “That was the program that opened the door to consultancy,” said Al Mannai. “They taught us about cost control, how to run the kitchen, how to do the layout and setup, purchasing and everything else in between.” Her education lasted a year followed by a 6-month internship at a prestigious restaurant in a 5-star hotel in Zurich.

Upon returning to Bahrain, Al Mannai’s consultancy work began right away and she gained momentum and recognition in the food sector, providing a range of services that currently include recipe and menu management, culinary training, business development, computerized documentation and recipe management.

Tel: +973-35113311Email: foodtalkbahrain@gmail.com

Food Photographer and Stylist: Tuba Saricimen

How did you get into this field?These came hand in hand for me. I always wanted to publish my mother’s recipes and I felt I could do something special with her cookbook. Besides, who best to present my mother’s food than someone that has an intimate passion for it? I started a food blog knowing that it would give me a bit of experience writing and documenting recipes, and, of course, photographing and styling.

Did you study photography and styling?I attended a few workshops and comprehensive courses, but I also read a lot and practiced at every opportunity. I never thought I had a creative bone in me until I undertook this career path.

Who have you worked with recently?I’ve worked for quite a few restaurants in Bahrain that were refreshing their menus or were interested in social media exposure. These include Isfahani, Big Smoke Burger, Millions of Milkshakes and Bluefield Burgers.

The hardest part about food photography?The hardest part is understanding what a new client is looking for. I usually like to go to the venue to understand my restrictions and what props and items I need to bring along. Lighting is always a challenge.

What advice would you give someone new to the business?Attend workshops, take courses and read as much as you can. Network because that’s your best tool for marketing. Most importantly, practice as much as you can. Practice matching colors, putting props together, using light to your advantage and using a DSLR with all of its features. Practice practice practice!

Food Photographer and Stylist: Amal Omar

When and how did you get into this field?About two years ago. At first, I would simply use my phone camera for photography and capturing special moments. Then I started getting into styling the shots and being more precise with it and I noticed how people were amazed by how beautiful my pictures were. They couldn’t believe they were taken by a phone camera. This encouraged me to expand, buy a professional camera and do more of what I love.

Have you taken any photography classes?I had never thought of taking any classes actually. This was my hobby, so I read a lot about it and watch YouTube videos to learn from others and hone my skills.

Would you recommend anyone to take it up as full-time work?Definitely. I hadn’t considered doing it at first, but having it as my hobby for so long encouraged me to take a chance and make it my full-time job, and I love every minute of it.

What restaurants have you worked with recently?I’ve worked with Pink Box, Sala Bakery, Just Fresh Burger, AlSayyad AlBahry, Sufra and many others.

What is the hardest part about food and styling photography?It would have to be coming up with unique ideas every time.

Is there any local or international photographer you like?That would be Mohammed Al Munasif. I love his work.

Any tips for a better photo?Two things to always watch out for: good lighting and good angles.

What advice would you give someone interested in this field?Keep these two words in mind: Patience and confidence. Also, never listen to those who discourage you.

Over the years, home-based businesses have gained a significant amount of popularity within Bahrain. Catering businesses in particular are quite widespread amongst those that want great quality food that tastes like home. These are some of our favorites:

Aisha Nooruddin Kitchen @aisha_nooruddin_kitchen

Popular for her catering services to weddings and special events, Aisha offers a wide variety of traditional Bahraini food, salads, main courses and desserts. Aisha’s food is known for its exquisite taste and high quality.

Berris Catering @berriscatering

Salad in a jar, mini burgers, vine leaves, brownies and cookies are some of the many mouthwatering foods that Berris Catering Services provide their customers.

Malak Allen @malak_allen

Malak puts her heart and soul in the careful compilation of stunning cakes, cheesecakes and desserts! She’s most known for her shabby-chic, multi-tiered naked wedding cakes, crowned with gorgeous fresh flowers. Malak also offers private baking classes.

The Cookie Jar BH @thecookiejarbh

Chocolate chip cookies, cream filled red velvet whoopie pies, pecan tarts, and the list goes on. The Cookie Jar BH offers loads of heavenly treats that are prepared in traditional and innovative ways. Picking one type of treat is definitely a challenge, but, one thing is for sure, that sweet tooth will be satisfied!

Um Ahmed @umahmed007

With over 10 years of experience and service to restaurants and cafes around Bahrain, Um Ahmed’s most prized dessert is the Caramel Date Tart. The combination of dates with the sweet caramel and cookie base makes this tart addictive at a whole different level!